Mullingar Community College named as Lidl Ireland #SeriousSupport participant

Mullingar Community College is the Westmeath representative for the Lidl Ireland #SeriousSupport Schools Programme for the 2024-2025 school year.

Supported by the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) and delivered by Youth Sport Trust and their specially trained athlete mentors, all of whom are current or former inter county ladies Gaelic football players, the programme is designed to educate teenage girls about the positive mental and physical health benefits of playing sport.

The programme, which is delivered through workshops and team-building sessions, aims to increase participation and reduce drop-out rates for teenagers in the sport.

Twenty-six schools across Ireland will have the opportunity to benefit from the programme along with receiving a new sets of jerseys for their school teams.

This year’s programme is delivered by LGFA intercounty players: Anne Marie Donan (Kildare), Deirdre O’Reilly (Cork), Eilish Ward (Donegal), Laurie Ryan (Clare), Leah Caffrey (Dublin), Lucy Hannon (Galway), Méabh De Búrca (Galway), Niamh McEvoy (Dublin), Samantha Lambert (Tipperary) and Therese McNally (Monaghan).

LGFA president Mícheál Naughton said: “We are once again honoured to announce the schools participating in Lidl’s #SeriousSupport Schools Programme for 2025, along with the list of athlete mentors who offer invaluable support and expertise year on year. These athlete mentors are inter-county stars, serving as role models within their communities and counties, and they will share their insights with the students involved in the programme.

“Feedback from previous programmes shows that students gained essential skills that assist them in their daily lives, especially at such a formative stage. I can’t think of better individuals to learn from than our athlete mentors, who have experienced and achieved so much. I would like to acknowledge the exceptional work of Lidl Ireland in bringing this programme to life and Youth Sport Trust for their continued assistance in its rollout.”

Lidl Ireland has been the official retail partner and sponsor of the Ladies National Football Leagues and All-Ireland Post Primary Schools competitions since 2016, and has committed more than €10 million to the development and promotion of ladies Gaelic football.

In January 2024, the retailer launched its call-to-action campaign ‘Get Behind the Fight’ to encourage greater attendance at female sports events. For information on LGFA fixtures, see lidl.ie/tickets.

Lidl Ireland has also launched its Lidl Plus LGFA Club Rewards Scheme, which gives communities the chance to support their local LGFA clubs and earn rewards through its stamp card initiative.

It runs till 16 March, and Lidl customers can register through the Lidl Plus app and sign up to be part of the rewards scheme to earn rewards for their clubs – from Lidl sponsored jerseys to €5,000 in cash funding. The top-performing club in the country will win €50,000, and three runners-up will receive up to €10,000 in funding.

For more, see lidl.ie.

For full details of the scheme and rewards information in Northern Ireland, see lidl-ni.co.uk.